Analysis & Opinion

WASHINGTON Dec 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. Republican senator
underscored division within his party ranks on Tuesday by
opposing a plan by the top Republican to increase tax revenues
as part of a possible deal to avert the "fiscal cliff."

Senator Jim DeMint, a favorite of the anti-tax Tea Party
movement, said the proposal by House of Representatives Speaker
John Boehner for $800 billion in increased tax revenues would
"destroy jobs and allow Washington politicians" to swell, not
reduce, the deficit.

Boehner and fellow House Republican leaders on Monday made
the offer, which would raise revenue by eliminating some tax
breaks and without increasing any tax rates.

The House Republican proposal was made as a counter offer to
one by President Barack Obama, which would increase tax rates on
the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans, while renewing a tax cut
for 98 percent of Americans.

Boehner made the offer after some Republicans voiced support
to raising taxes on the wealthy in order to obtain a deal by the
end of the month to avoid a crush of automatic spending cuts and
tax increases that could plunge the nation into a recession.

DeMint's action showed Boehner faces pressure to stand firm
against raising taxes while some in his ranks believes he needs
to do so to obtain elusive common ground with Obama's Democrats.

In a statement, DeMint said, "This isn't rocket science.
Everyone knows that when you take money out of the economy (with
tax hikes), it destroys jobs, and everyone knows that when you
give politicians more money, they spend it," DeMint said.

"This is why Republicans must oppose tax increases and
insist on real spending reductions that shrink the size of
government and allow Americans to keep more of their hard-earned
money," the South Carolina Republican said.